Veramonte
Casablanca Valley, Chile
Casablanca is one of Chile's newest winemaking regions. Situated to the northwest of Santiago, the valley is on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, and the vineyards benefit from the cool, maritime air which provides a natural temperature balance to the warmth of the sun.
The coolness of the ocean air is important, especially in the making of the white wines at Veramonte. These wines have true fruit purity with a fresh, natural acidity. The Chardonnay and world renowned Sauvignon Blanc grapes tend to be found on the valley floor, where the cooler climate is reminiscent of the Carneros region in Napa Valley, California.
The coastal mountain ranges surrounding Veramonte's vineyards exert another powerful influence on the wines. The state's terraced hillside blocks have much warmer temperatures (compared to the valley floor) and this creates a climate perfect for growing grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere.
In fact, Veramonte means "edge of the mountain" and the wines produced here really are wines from the edge of the world. The many different microclimates and soil types are what first attracted the Veramonte winemaker Cristian Aliaga to Casablanca. He makes it his mission to fully understand the terroir best suited to each of his wines. With so many differences in such a relatively small area, it's no easy task!
"Our philosophy at Veramonte is founded in our conviction that the terroir of the variety is of the utmost importance in determining the wine's character, quality and value." Cristian Aliaga
The 10,000 acre Veramonte estate was founded in 1990 by Agustin Huneeus, a native Chilean who has often been recognised as the leader of the renaissance in Chilean wine. After dedicating over 40 years to producing fine wines around the world, including Quintessa and Franciscan Estates, Agustin decided it was time to return home and focus all his expertise and skills in the little known winemaking region of Casablanca. In fact, when Agustin founded the estate, the whole valley only had about 100 acres of vines.
Having established the 10,000 acre Veramonte estate, Agustin ensured that only approximately 1,000 acres of the estate was made up of planted vines. The rest (still to this day) is left as natural, unplanted green belt. Veramonte also use sustainable farming practices, whilst employing the latest viticultural techniques, to ensure the long term environmentally friendly future for the valley.
All of the Veramonte wines, especially the Sauvignon Blanc, are highly respected and acclaimed over the world. In fact, the Sauvignon Blanc is the USA's best selling Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.
But perhaps their most outstanding wine of all is their Primus blend - and it's all down to one outlandish grape variety - Carmenere. This grape was wiped out in Bordeaux in the nineteenth century, survived only in Chile, and was only identified as a long lost French grape in the 1990s. Here, it's been blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, two other Bordeaux grapes, to produce an exotic, powerful and spicy red that's well worth discovering yourself.
